Issue Future competition for labour migrants as origin countries age

Summary

The report observes that through trade and labour migration the Netherlands is tied to regions whose populations are shrinking fast, which it regards as a risk for Dutch prosperity. Once the countries that currently supply labour migrants age as well, migration is likely to turn toward other countries with an abundant labour supply. The examples the report gives are India, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam, and it adds that African countries and India have young and growing populations. In the long run receiving countries may end up competing for workers, and cultural proximity would then be an advantage. Within Europe, meanwhile, the number of people aged 15 to 29 has already fallen and is expected to fall further.